Throwback Thursday: Life Through the Lens of MySpace

Do you ever wake up and just go “nope”? Do you ever have multiple days like that, in a row? Yeah, me too.

For some reason, I’ve been in a funk for the past week or two. And by “some reason” I mean a little bit of many different reasons. Are you busy? Because I’d like to invite you to a superfun impromptu pity party, hosted by me! Here’s what’s up: I just got a new job where I sit in front of a computer all day and can’t exactly stomach more quality time with my laptop when I get home. I’m also readjusting to early mornings and about 60% of my normal amount of sleep, meaning that I’ve felt nonstop exhausted for weeks. (Yes, I know part of being an adult is never ever ever being fully rested, but whyyyy? Let’s start a rebellion – that’s something I think we can all get behind.) My mom just visited for Memorial Day weekend, and we jam-packed our precious few days together with fun yet very exhausting activities. I smartly spent most of the time dwelling on how short her visit was and how far apart we live rather than being in the moment. Also, my brother just got engaged which is just the absolute best(!!!), but it’s also a stark reminder of how far from home Vikram and I are when we miss all the reception site visits, engagement parties, and lazy Sunday planning sessions. Not to mention all the parties and music video shoots that we get to vicariously attend with our friends through Snapchat. Thank god for social media!

So all that to say, I didn’t forget about this blog, I’ve just been busy riding my little emotional rollercoaster of life. And before anyone goes there, let me say it first: I realize all the bitching I just did is essentially the definition of #firstworldproblems. I know. I know. I’m very lucky for my life, I’ve just had a rough few weeks is all 🙂

Surprisingly enough, I’ve heard from numerous people that they’ve been low on energy and less productive recently too, so maybe there’s something else going on. Any astrologers out there? Is Mercury in retrograde or something? Is it time for the Blue Corn Moon? Should I chalk this up to global warming? What’s the deal?

Anyway, enough of my whining about the fact that I haven’t posted in a while – let’s talk about what I have been up to! In order to do so, I’d like to harken back to those early-2000s MySpace-style questionnaires for a small dose of nostalgia. (If you don’t know what I’m referring to, don’t worry, you’re not missing out on anything.)

~*~wHaT i’m uP tO~*~

Watching: On TV, we’re enjoying Game of Thrones, New Girl, Quantico, Blindspot, and Outlander (not all at once, I swear!).

Also I recently found out that Vikram had seen “maybe one or two, I don’t know which” of the Harry Potter movies, so we are obviously marathoning our way through them to add value to Vikram’s life. But being that we’re secretly elderly people that need lots of naps, it’s taking us several tries to get through each movie. We just finished Prisoner of Azkaban after three failed attempts. (Fun fact: Vikram incorrectly remembered Buckbeak’s name as “Sneakerboo”.)

Reading:It’s Okay to Laugh (Crying is Cool Too) by Nora McInerny Purmort, which is written by my friend’s sister and is perfect for bedtime reading because it’s broken up into short blog-like chapters. Heavy material (she miscarried and lost her husband and father within, like, months) perfectly balanced with quirky metaphors and hilarious retellings of embarrassing, totally real moments from the author’s life. Loving it so far.

I also recently read this article, which describes someone else blazing a trail in the multicultural wedding industry that I would like to walk down someday. I’ve noticed that I oscillate through stages where I alternately feel like I know a respectable amount about something, and then suddenly realize I how little I really know about it. Right now I’m in the “Jon Snow” phase, which for all you non-GoT fans means I feel like I know nothing. Believe it or not, I actually like this feeling because it reminds me that I still have so much to learn and so far to go before I get to where I want to be. It’s humbling and every time it comes around, I feel like I’m exiting a blindingly sophomoric phase of my life. So while I haven’t yet, I’m planning to read lots more on multicultural weddings, life, and fashion in the coming days, weeks, and months!

Working on: my new job – not too much to report there. I think we can all relate to that.

I’m also working on working on learning Hindi – it’s been hard to find time with my new work schedule, and I’m doing my best to squeeze in time when I can, but in all honesty I’m disappointed in myself that I’m not further along 🙁

As for Vermillion Rhapsody, I’m getting ready for some post series that I will need your (yes YOU! 🙂 ) help for! So if you have ever eaten a meal, worn clothes, or gotten married and it was somehow tied to India, keep an eye on this blog because I will be wanting to talk to you in the very near future!

Going to: well, besides work every day from 8-5, I’ve been to some really cool places lately! When my mom was here over Memorial Day weekend, I did my best to cram our 5+ months of living in North Carolina into her 4-day visit, which in retrospect was probably a little much. Sorry, mom! But we did end up seeing (and eating) some awesome things, so I think it was worth it!

Vikram was out of town at a religious retreat, so it was a girls weekend! For my mom and I, that usually means sightseeing, shopping, a tiny bit of wine, movies, and continually talking about doing our nails but never actually doing them. And this weekend was no different!

On Friday, we did some sightseeing around Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill, then ate at the Mediterranean Deli in Chapel Hill. It really is as good as they say, and we ended up going back again the night before my mom left!

On Saturday, we made several pit stops on our way to the Outer Banks: first, the WRAL Hot Air Balloon Festival in nearby Fuquay-Varina. We got there a little too early for most of the events (including a hot air balloon ride 🙁 ) but we did get the chance to walk around inside a hot air balloon, check out local food trucks, and discover The Flourish Market, which sells international products to promote dignity and fair wages across the globe. They have lots of beautiful products from India, so naturally I have a huge crush on this company already!

Can’t forget the reason behind Memorial Day!

My mom and I then headed to Sunni Sky’s Homemade Ice Cream, which boasts over 100 flavors including two that require you to sign waivers because they’re so spicy! (That’s a not-so-subtle dare for any friends that come visit us!) But I am weak, so I played it safe with Key Lime Pie and Creme Brulee 🙂

We then made our way to Hinnant Family Vineyard – the largest muscadine vineyard in North Carolina – where we lovingly picked out gifts of wine for my brother and future-SIL’s aforementioned engagement party that Vikram and I attended in spirit. We settled on the popular Tar Heel Red and Scuppernong – the jury’s still out on the couple-to-be, but my mom and I loved them!

We finally reached the Outer Banks in the late afternoon, and made the most of the remaining sunlight by walking around Nag’s Head Beach and driving down the coast to Rodanthe. After driving through neighborhoods, calling friends, and stopping into local shops, we finally located the house that was used in the film Nights in Rodanthe (2008)! The house has actually been moved from its original location near the beach and renamed, but it is still a functioning rental property. Yes, that means even YOU can have your own “night in Rodanthe”! We didn’t end up staying here, or anywhere on the Outer Banks for that matter. Since my mom and I failed to realize how packed the Outer Banks would be on Memorial Day weekend, the closest hotel we could find was over an hour away in Elizabeth City. Trust me, we won’t make that mistake again!

The Nights in Rodanthe house

The next day, we checked out the Wright Brothers National Memorial, which was actually a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. We got to see the location of the first four flights in history, which is actually quite staggering to think about when you consider how much of an impact these two men made on our world. How different would life be without air travel? How many of us wouldn’t even be where we are today? I can almost guarantee that I wouldn’t be married to Vikram, and that’s something I don’t even want to think about. So thank you, Wilbur and Orville! <3

We then made a 15-minute drive from the Outer Banks to Roanoke Island, once the home of the “famous” Lost Colony. I say “famous” because for some reason I thought everyone fondly knew it as an eerily still-unsolved historical mystery, when in reality it’s something you mention and people say, “Oh yeah, I think I remember learning something about that in school.” But regardless of its fame, my mom and I pored over its interactive museum, Festival Park, and I got to read all the things that Vikram rushed me past during our visit this past spring! After Festival Park, we strolled around downtown Manteo (on Roanoke Island), window shopped at the adorable boutiques (because they were all closed for Memorial Day weekend 🙁 ), and grabbed a late lunch at Full Moon Cafe/Lost Colony Brewery. Afterwards we enjoyed our drive home, chasing the sunset as we went.

To round out my mom’s long weekend, on Monday I took her to some of my favorite spots near home: Rise Biscuits and Donuts, my local mall (where we spent considerable time in Belk – my mall has one of its amazing flagship stores, and I had to make sure my mom went home with at least one piece of Southern attire!), and Moe’s, which is basically Southwestern Chipotle. All-in-all, a great weekend with an amazing woman that I can never spend enough time with!

Miss you momma! Thanks for a great weekend!

We also have some exciting events coming up, most notably Slide the City next weekend, which is a traveling event coming to downtown Raleigh where we will be tubing down a 1000-foot waterslide! In the middle of the city! I’m so excited!

We also are bouncing around a few destination ideas for 4th of July weekend, and looking forward to finally visiting MN in a few months!

There’s lots of amazing things to look forward to, and I think it’s just what the doctor ordered to bring me out of this slump! 🙂

Thanks for reading – I hope you enjoyed! I would love to hear any feedback in the comments section!

Hey there!

Hi there! I'm Allison, a born-and-raised Minnesotan who married a handsome Punjabi guy in 2015...twice! Join me as I learn to infuse bits of India into my wardrobe, decor, food, and life - and do a bit of traveling as well!